ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
A long-established CNC machine tool sales, service, and applications organization serving the Upper Midwest, part of a larger private-equity-backed group of five entities under a Minnesota-based PE firm. The company sells CNC machine tools backed by a deep applications and service bench, serving job shops, contract manufacturers, and OEM machining operations across the region. Recent new executive leadership has brought higher energy, a faster pace, and a more hands-on, visible style, and a new sales leader is joining to lead and coach the territory sales team. This is a confidential search; the company will be disclosed upon mutual interest.
THE ROLE
Individual contributor territory sales role responsible for developing and growing the western Wisconsin market. The territory centers on the Madison hub, extending west toward the Eau Claire area, down to the southern Wisconsin border, and stopping just east of the Minnesota line. The territory is established and producing; the objective is to grow it by winning net-new accounts while continuing to sell into the existing customer base. The rep owns the full sales cycle from prospecting through close, supported by a dedicated applications team. Reports to the VP of Sales.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Prospect, develop, and close new machine tool business while growing existing accounts across the western Wisconsin territory
• Conduct in-person facility visits, application reviews, and machine demonstrations
• Present technical, solutions-based recommendations for CNC machining applications including turning, milling, Swiss, and 5-axis
• Manage the full sales cycle: prospecting, proposal, demonstration, negotiation, and close
• Stay involved through turnkey projects, demos, and related customer work to meet deadlines and budgets
• Leverage the dedicated applications team (Swiss, 5-axis, turning, automation specialists) on technical calls
• Forecast territory pipeline accurately and track all activity in Salesforce
• Meet or exceed annual sales targets within the assigned territory
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
• Draw plus commission with a first-year guarantee structured to set the rep up for success; flexible tiers based on candidate preference
• When the company gets paid on a machine, the rep gets paid; most of the team runs on a draw against a 25% commission
• No cap on earnings; verified W-2 total compensation in the region runs roughly $175K to $300K
• Car allowance starting around $500–$600 per month, reviewed annually and scaling up to ~$900 based on tracked mileage
• PTO starting at 15 days, accrued each pay period with rollover
• Medical coverage provided through an ICHRA; full benefits package
IDEAL CANDIDATE
• Capital equipment sales background in CNC machine tools, fabrication equipment, laser cutting, press brakes, or adjacent industrial equipment; tooling and workholding sellers calling on the same accounts also translate well
• Experience selling to job shops, contract manufacturers, and OEM machining or fabrication operations
• Based in or near the territory; Madison area or slightly north preferred. Must live within the territory footprint (Milwaukee is too far)
• A true hunter, willing and proven to knock on doors and build relationships; the role is roughly 80% hunting early to build pipeline, then a blend as it matures
• Consultative seller comfortable with long capital equipment sales cycles, CapEx, and ROI-based decision-making
• Strong technical and mechanical aptitude; credible in a technical conversation while knowing when to loop in applications support
• Strong communicator who leads the conversation and sells themselves from the first call; drive and energy matter as much as the resume
• Roughly 2 to 5+ years of relevant, translatable sales experience; not fully green and not winding down a career